LISD board tables elementary rezoning

The LISD zoning change map for Bridlewood and Flower Mound Elementary Schools, image courtesy of Lewisville ISD. The red lines show the current zoning borders, while the colored sections show the future school zones.

After significant discussion, the Lewisville ISD Board of Trustees on Monday decided to not approve two new elementary school rezoning maps in Flower Mound.

One of these plans rearranges the zoning between Bridlewood and Flower Mound elementary schools, and the other moves a new development, the Villas at Southgate from Bluebonnet Elementary, which is near capacity, to Old Settlers Elementary.

Both of these zoning items were first presented at the Sept. 24 work session. Chief schools officer Joseph Coburn went through the process of holding extensive community meetings at the affected schools to explain exactly what would happen over the past weeks.

Most members voiced concerns about the plans, and almost all voted to table them and revisit the rezoning at a later date – board member Jenny Proznik voted against tabling one of them. Tracy Scott Miller voiced concerns about breaking up Double Oak, and said he would have preferred a map that was not presented to the community.

“If I were going to split Double Oak and create some kind of bifrication, which I’m opposed to, I would make it different – in fact, I would make it to look like one of the initial plans we had,” Miller said. “But that’s not what was presented to community, so it’s not an option.”

Almost all board members expressed concern about reacting to development projects that hadn’t been fleshed out yet, such as the Southgate Villas.

“I’m really hesitant to approve this one, although I don’t have a problem with the map itself,” Allison Lassahn said, referring to the second item. “I’m worried that they [Bluebonnet] are going to lose 80 students this next year, because I’m worried that some of these developments aren’t ready to push students in there, so they’re going to lose these students, they’re going to lose these staff members, they’re going to lose the dreaded specials, which really kind of stinks … From what I can see, I’m worried we’re jumping the gun on this one a little bit.”